Early exercise testing after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: a word of caution

Use of stress-testing modalities after angioplasty or bypass

The use of stress-testing modalities after angioplasty or bypass has been an area of discussion and research since the advent of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Issues of when to do which test, and if any, in asymptomatic or symptomatic patients, are not resolved. Stress imaging ETT plays a larger role in this population, but task forces stop short of coming out with any frequency of testing. Cost-effective strategies have not been explored. This article attempts to summarize the results in the literature.

Acute coronary occlusion during early post-PTCA exercise testing: a rare but avoidable risk

We describe here one instance of an acute occlusion of an angioplastied LAD coronary artery occurring during a treadmill stress test performed 2 d after the procedure. The occlusion occurred during the recovery period after a reasonably high level of stress was achieved without evidence of ischaemia. Similar instances described in the literature are summarized and discussed. In the light of these data, it might be prudent to avoid early post-PTCA exercise stress testing.